Mystery Highland whisky that The Whisky Exchange have listed within the Glenmorangie section of their website. Hmmm. This Watt Whisky release has been matured since 2005 in a refill sherry butt – 628 bottles at 57.1% is the result. Currently available from TWE for £87.95.
Nose: Highly appealing. Fresh and leafy sherry is at the same time tart and piquant – stewed plums and chopped cherries alongside pink peppercorns, aniseed and cloves. Loaf cake and Kik Kat wafers are joined by background touches of mint chewing gum. Reduction takes things in a different direction – chestnuts and reduced pan jus alongside cotton sheets and dark chocolate covered walnuts.
Taste: Rich toffee and a combination of milk and dark chocolate are slathered atop of syrupy stone and dark fruits. More chopped walnuts, and baking spices (cinnamon, anise and cloved) are joined by Halls cough sweets – cherry flavour. The addition of water takes this up another notch revealing earthy asides of cellared fine wine, spent coffee grounds and scattered, dried fruit peels.
Finish: Quite long with mentholated and vegetal sherry alongside shaved chocolate.
An excellent mystery Highlander which offers a fresh and leafy character when enjoyed neat and a deeper, darker more earthy profile when reduced. Both perform exceedingly well, and as such, this is an easy pick for ‘best of the bunch’ from what is a now typically solid selection from Watt Whisky.
Review sample provided by Watt Whisky